U Are...

Yesterday, I spent most of the day in a vegetative state. I guess the holidays must have finally caught up with me. So, after sleeping most of the day away, I was WIRED late at night, and I created this page about my daughter. This photo captures the very essence of my daughter: fun, sweet, energetic, and the list goes on. That's when I decided I wanted to make a page describing how wonderful she is. The paper is Jenni Bowlin ("Numbered Die-Cut Label"). I used a Fancy Pants Design transparent overlay on the photo and then just dressed up the page with some journalling, using the computer and my Copic markers. The chipboard U is from Making Memories and the letter stickers are from Stickopotamus (which come from my stash-I wonder if these letters even still exist??) Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season, filled with family, fun, friends and most of all, LOVE!!
HAPPY STAMPING!!

Growing in Unity- Day 5

Today I had to bring you some scrapbook layouts. These are from an album that I created for my Mom, for Christmas. I had about 200+ pictures from her wedding in June, that I wanted to put in an album for her. I didnt want it to be just any old album, though.
Here, I used a regular "2-up" photo album, but embellished some of the pages as scrapbook pages and then left some of them remaining as the 2-up style, but just added a little decoration to the white spaces on the sides of the photo slots. This is a really quick way to put together an album if you have tons of pictures you need to scrap in a short amount of time.
I used various Unity Stamps throughout the whole book, since, Unity stamps are GREAT for both Scrapbooking and Cardmaking. On the pages you see here, I used the following Unity Stamps: Diva-lish, My Sister My Friend, Queen for a Day, and Fun Night Out. SO, if your in a hurry and need an album done, fast, try this out. Its FUN and quick. I could not believe how fast I scrapped 200+ photos!! Thanks for visiting my blog for Growing in Unity week. Check out the Unity blog to see who is next. There are such wonderfully talented Unity girls waiting to show you their creations. Happy Stamping!!

Growing in Unity- Day 4- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
here is ANOTHER ALTERED PROJECT!!!! I can't believe it...since I rarely create altered items. I am having so much fun with it this week!! This is a picture frame, altered into an inspirational decoration. I used My Minds Eye designer paper for the frame design, embellished with ribbons and a Prima flower. The stamped image, one of my favorite quotes, comes from Unity Stamp Co: Beauty of Dreams (this stamp is HUGE). I then sewed a silly design on top, and zig-zag stich on the bottom of the quote. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas day!! HAPPY STAMPING!!

Growing in Unity- Day 3- CHRISTMAS EVE

OK, so who doesn't look at the adorable wooden Unity tags that come with the stamp kits, and wonder, "what can I do with these??"
Well, I thought these were the perfect size for drink coasters!! I made a "his and hers" set of 4.
To do this, you will need:
four of the Unity wooden tags,
four corkboard coasters (you can usually find a multi-pack at Walmart for real cheap!!)
and whatever kinds of papers and embellishments you desire for decoration.
Oh, and Mod Podge too!
I started by first gluing the corkboard coaster to the back of the wooden tag. Use a craft knife to trim the edges off. Next, flip over the tag and begin painting the Mod Podge in an even coat, over the front of the tag. Place a 4X4 piece of Designer paper over the Mod Podge and firmly press any bubbles out. Trim off the excess, and sand edges, if necessary. Then, I painted Mod Podge over the DSP as well. Once dry, I stamped in black Staz On ink, right on the Designer paper side. Embellish as you desire. Here, I used foof-a-la buttons on the boy coasters and Rhinestones on the girly coasters. The stamps come from Unity Stamp Co: Dads of all Kinds (check out that kit, its 50% off!!! WOW) Fun Night Out, and Cocktail Party. Thanks for stopping by. HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY STAMPING!!

Growing in Unity- Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of "Growing in Unity." Here is a fun card that I made late the other night. It was quite therapeutic cutting out all the little details for this card. LOL. The card uses a PTI white base and Stampin Up Berry Bliss DSP. The stamped images come from Unity Stamp Co: Bitty Christmas Tags ("magical") and November KOM (large tree). The tree is paper pieced from the Berry Bliss DSP as well. It is embellished with stickles, pearls and mini pink pearls. Following the "magical" feel of this card, I decided to make my grass pink as well. Its just a strip of pink pirouette paper cut 3/4 of the way down, then I folded the slits in different directions to make it look grassy. Thanks for stopping by, wishing you the BEST Holidays with you and your families. HAPPY STAMPING!!

Growing in Unity- Day 1

Hello everyone!! This week (12/22- 12/26) is my "Growing in Unity" week. All the Unity girls are showcasing Unity Stamp Co. on their blogs for one week each, in what we call Growing in Unity, Day by Day, Week by Week. Every week a new, talented, Unity friend will showcase their amazing artwork created with Unity Stamps. Be sure to check the Unity blog each week to see who is next!!
This is a card....errr....ornament that I designed from Ally's sketch, for So Sketchy. I thought it would be cool to go outside the box on this one and decided to hang it on my tree. (Far away from the lights, peeps!!) I kept it nice and simple, since I didn't want to take away from Ally's sketch at all. The star is a 5.5" start cut from the Cricut machine, and layered with a 5" star. The papers are Stampin up Pink Pirouette and Cranberry. The stamped images are from Unity Stamp Co: Bitty Christmas Tags, and are embossed with white EP. I used a white gel pen for the dotted accents. Pink grossgrain ribbon is the "ornament hook." The button comes from Foof-a-la. Be sure to check back this week for, what I hope you will find, some FUN stamping and scrapbooking projects. HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY STAMPING, friends!!!

OH Holy Night....

Another beautiful sketch from Ally of So Sketchy, helped me design this card. Again, I went with a Holiday theme. I still have NO IDEA what I am going to to do for Christmas cards this year. OOPS!! This card uses an Old Olive base with PTI Pure Poppy and SU Dashing DSP for the layers. The stamped images come from Unity Stamp Co. The white, embossed image on the large circle is called Prince of Peace and the Pointsettia image comes from Bitty Christmas Tags. The pointsettia is stamped in real red ink and then colored with shimmerz paints and gold stickles, and then popped up on dimensionals. I placed random buttons all over the Dashing DSP. Thanks for stopping by, wishing you a happy, healthy Holiday season. HAPPY STAMPING!!!

Winter Sparkles for SO Sketchy

Here is another card that I designed for SO Sketchy. The sketch for this card is super cool and I had fun working with it. Im definitely starting to get into the swing of the holiday season, after all Christmas is only 2 weeks away! It must have been all the holiday music Amanda and I were listening to over the weekend. For this card, I used PTI Kraft, and Avacado cardstock, and Basic Grey designer paper (Figgy) for my layers. I distressed all the layers on this card, and then sewed with my sewing machine. The stamp comes from Unity Stamp Co, and is called Trinity Trio. The image is stamped with versafine black ink and then colored with Shimmerz paints. I embellished with May Arts ribbon, a huge glittery, chipboard snowflake and blue dew drops. Thanks for stopping by, wishing you and yours a happy, healthy Holiday season. HAPPY STAMPING!!

A Sweet Angel

Hello everyone! Your Unity Wednesday Challenge (USC16) is brought to you by: yours' truly, today. I am excited to give you a Featured Stamper(s) challenge. Your challenge is to browse the SCS galleries and personal design blogs of Unity Design Team members Jimmi Mayo, Jennifer Buck or Maren Benedict and pick a card that you want to CASE (Copy And Share with Everyone).

Why did I only pick these 3 wonderfully talented ladies? They have been chosen as the next coordinators for Splitcoast Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) and I just know they are brewing up some awesome fun for all of us for the next VSN.

So, the rules for a featured stamper challenge are as follows:

1) pick a card to CASE from the ladies listed above.

2) change 2 or more things on the card. (colors, images, embellishments, etc) List what changes you made to the original card in your post.

3) credit the original card, by linking it in your blog. **PLEASE do not copy the picture of the card into your blog, because many of these cards are sent into magazines for publishing, and the card photos cannot be out all over the internet while in the publication process.**

If you are playing along with us today, please upload your card to the SCS gallery using keyword USC16.

I decided to CASE a beautiful card by Jennifer Buck. I changed the Colors, Images, Ribbon location, but kept the layout the same. Thank you Jennifer for your awesome inspiration!! My card uses some really neat Christmasy glittered paper that my Secret Santa Brandi got for me. The layers are PTI White, SU Glorious Green and Pink Pirouette. I stamped the Unity image Glorious Angel in black versafine ink and colored with Copic markers. Then, I painted over the wings with pink Shimmerz. I added rhinestones on the scallops and two paper flowers. Pink grossgrain ribbon is tied across the top of the card. In other fine news, please make sure you check out the Unity blog today. I was chosen as their WOW girl today! What an honor, I am just beaming!! Thank you Angela and the Unity team!! {love} you all!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!! HAPPY STAMPING!!

Amanda and Her Daddy!!!

These pictures are just so dear and precious to me. Eric was heading off to work, for his first day back, after being out with us on family leave for a few weeks after Amanda was born. You can just see it in his eyes, it was killing him to go back! I wanted to memorialize this moment for Amanda, for her scrapbook. I used Pink Paislee DSP from the Spring Fling collection (Green Lace). I love how this page has a unique edging to it. I layered the page with SU Close to Cocoa and Vanilla cardstock. I used the Unity Stamp Co September KOM and November KOM. The letters are recycled chipboard from K & Co. I also used paper flowers from Walmart, Stickles, colored rhinestones and my sewing machine to tie it all together. Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day, and Happy Scrappin'.

A Delightful Deer

Here is another hidden message card! I really liked the sketch I was assigned from So Sketchy, that I made another card. This was a birthday card for a family friend. For this card, I used a River Rock base, layered with Garden Green and Basic Grey DSP. Again, I distressed all the layers on the card. I am really starting to like the way the distressing looks!! Unity stamps from the November KOM are the images on the card. Check out the Unity site, Angela is making the past KOM's available for sale. I used the SU scallop border punch and the slit punch for the secret message piece. Each scallop is dotted with stickles. I colored the images with Copics. Thanks so much for stopping by, have a wonderful day!!

Secret Flap Card for So Sketchy

This was a really fun sketch to create from. Ally gave us a "hidden message" card to design. I used a Kraft card base here, layered with PTI Ocean Tides and Basic Grey DSP from the Figgy line. I distressed all of the edges of this card for some added dimension and texture! Of course I had to use Unity stamps for the main image and the hidden messge. The stamps are: Chalet of Serenity and August KOM. (Angela now has the past KOM's up for sale on the Unity site, if you missed out!!) I used the SU Scallop border punch and Dew Drops for the accents. The hidden message is closed with the slit punch, also from SU. Check out the SO Sketchy site, there is a Design Team search, you may be the talent that Ally is looking for, give it a try!! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!! Happy Stampin'

My new favorite layout!!

I really just LOVE how this page came together. These were our first "family portraits" together, taken by our friend Doug. We went down to the pavillion on the beach so we had some shade, so the baby wasn't in the sun too long. Looking at these pictures, I really wanted to bring out the bright pinks that Amanda and I were wearing and that beautiful shade of navy in Eric's shirt. I found some awesome designer paper by My Mind's Eye, which matched perfectly. I was really happy to use my new Pixie (by Singer) sewing machine on the pages as well. The chipboard letters are from K&Co. They have a line of recycled materials so I wanted to try them out, and I have to say, I am quite pleased with the variety and quality. The large flowers on the page are cut from a piece of MME designer paper, and then glittered with stickles. Unity Stamps adorn my page: September KOM, Nov KOM.

Here are some close ups of the pages themselves. I LOVE the stamp in the November Kit of the Month (KOM) that reads, "Home is where your story begins." How true is that?? Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and HAPPY SCRAPPIN!!!

Fun in the Sun..........

More scrappy fun, and I'm lovin' it. I am so happy to finally be scrapping Amanda's first trip to the beach! What a great feeling. Accomplishment. Now I have the drive to do MORE and more. I pray that I can keep it up, I'm only 3 years behind. HAHA. Here is a photo of what the two pages look like together. Down below, you will see each page separately. I used My Mind's Eye designer paper with PTI Avacado layers. I tried to disress all my layers to give the pages the "beachy" feel. Unity stamps were used on both pages: Beach Day, Our Life Our Stories, and Everlasting Romance. I also used American Crafts letter stickers (thickers). Thank you so much for stopping by, have a wonderful day!!

Scrappin' Again....

SO, I am pleased to say I am FINALLY done with my pregnancy/birth/hospital album from when Amanda was born, and can now start on the next album. It starts with her first trip to the shore. This is the "cover" page, and I wanted to keep it pretty simple. The paper is a distressed pattern from My Mind's Eye. I used American Crafts letter stickers (thickers) for the title. These letters are so neat, they come in many different fonts, sizes, colors and really make pages come to life. I also had to use Unity stamps on the page. What is a scrap page without Unity?? This set is the newly released Our Life, Our Stories kit, specially made with LARGE stamps for scrapbooking. This is the main reason I was originally drawn to Unity, because their stamps were larger for scrapbookers. (The stamps are also quite suitable for cardmaking as well.) Unity has a wonderful variety of stamp kits that will be sure to please ANY stamper or scrapbooker. Literally, its LOVE at first SIGHT! I'm completely ADDICTED, and there is no turning back. HAHA. Check out the Unity site, now!! You will probably start to see a bunch more scrapbook pages from me, as I am starting to get back into the swing of it. Have a wonderful day!!

A special birthday!!

Today is a very special birthday of a VERY special woman...my grandmother...NANNY... turns 85 today!! AND, she is just as spunky and free-spirited as ever. She is a HOOT to be with and always has a bright smile on her face. Her laugh is contagious. She teaches us our Irish heritage. She loves to play a good game of cards. She is hillarious. Anyone who knows her, knows her as Nanny, she is everyone's Nan! A wonderful, beautiful, giving, caring, intelligent woman. She teaches us what life is all about. Love. Family. Friendships. Faith. I love this woman. Today, we all surprised her by going to the same mass and then having breakfast with her afterwards. She was quite surprised when we all started sitting next to her in church! It was such a joy to see the delight in her eyes. This is the card that I made for her special day. I used Unity's Ginormous Sweet Cupcakes set and Verve sentiment from Birthday Surprise. Papers are: SU Pink Pirouette, Tangerine Tango, PTI White, and My Minds Eye DSP. The image is colored with watercolor crayons and then painted over with Shimmerz pink paint. The candle and the flame are popped up on dimensionals. I sewed (with new Pixie sewing machine that hubby got for me) around the border of the card, with Amanda's help (she presses the foot pedal, while I feed it through) using yellow thread. The sentiment is punched from the 1 1/4" circle punch, layered on pink 1 3/8" circle punch and layered on a tangerine scalloped circle punch. The card size is 5X5. Thanks for stopping by, and HAPPY STAMPING!!

Chilly Willy the Pengiun....

I designed this card for the So Sketchy blog and just love the sketch that Ally sent me to work on. Its full of dimension! Long cards are some of my favorite to work on. I used Stampin Up's Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango cardstock and Frosty DSP. Unity Stamp Co stamps are the darling little images on the card. They come from the Jolly Little Winter set, aren't those penguins AAAAA-DORABLE?? Reminds me of Chilly Willy the Penguin...Just want to kiss them, MWAH! HaHAhA. I also punched three snowbursts on the card and then sprinkled glitter inside them for some snowy sparkle! Trying to adjust to the changing temperatures, and keep it real, yes, I must face the fact that winter is approaching. UGH! I need to go somewhere warm....and FAST! AND, stay there for a really long time. Not a big fan of winter! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY STAMPING!

Inspired Again...We Challenge You!!

Well, here it is, a Wednesday, again, and you know what that means... the Unity Challenge Girls have a challenge for you!! Today's challenge is an inspiration challenge brought to you by the wonderful Michelle. She picked this lovey Paloma bedding set by Mystic Valley Traders. I just love all the different colors and layers in the design on this set. Here is a possible color scheme for you to try, inspired by this bedding: Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust and Vanilla. You may even be able to find some Unity stamps to replicate the pattern! I received my Unity November Kit of the Month (KOM) the other day and could not wait to ink this baby up! There are so many darling images in the set this month, Unity just keeps making these kits better and better every month. I am a huge fan of the tree in this month's kit...It's HUGE!! Unity seems to be making a few more scrapbooking kits, with the larger stamps, lately, and I LOVE that! So, here is my card for today's challenge. I used Unity Stamp Co. November KOM, called Enjoy Your Story...Laugh, and Something Within. Papers used: SU Really Rust for the card base, then layered with SU Celery, Chocolate Chip and Vanilla. Basic Grey Mellow series is the Designer paper. For the detailing on the tree, I used: stickles on the smallest circles and then placed dew drop pearls in the centers of the larger circles. Small, light blue pearls (Joy Crafts) are in the centers of the smaller circles of the tree. The image is colored with watercolor pencils and watercolored. I distressed around the edges on all layers. I am really starting to LOVE that technique!! I also used the scallop border punch on the Chocolate Chip layer. May Arts ribbon was used across the top of the card. Here is a picture of the detailing on the tree. If you are going to play along with us, upload your challenge card the SCS gallery and use keyword USC13. Don't forget to check out all the other Unity Challenge Girls' blogs today, for some wonderful inspiration. The links can be found on the left column, below. AND, as always, HIP HOP Thursday fun begins at 10am Central time in the Unity Forum on SCS. The fun lasts well into the night, games, prizes, challenges, friends, chatting!! Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a WONDERFUL day!

Praying for You

This card was made for a dear cousin who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer a few weeks ago. My mother and aunts made a care package for her, and asked me to make the card. I wanted to make something bright and colorful for her, (since she is such a bright and wonderful person) so, I hope this does the trick! We are praying for her health everyday and hope the best for her.
This card uses the following: Stamps: Stampin Up- So Many Sayings and Inspired by Nature. Paper: PTI Sweet Blush, Lemon Tart, White and SU Celery. Accessories: May Arts pink satin ribbon, mini pink pearls by Joy Crafts, SU Scallop Edge punch, sponging and Peebles Chalks. I stamped the image in Versamark and then chalked over it, for Poppin Pastels technique. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY STAMPING!!

Snowflakes!! They are a comin'....

I designed this card from another one of Noella's awesome sketches, for the Creatively Yours site. I really liked the symmetry of this sketch, and had a blast designing this card. I decided to go with a holiday theme, since it is ALWAYS so hard for me to get in the mood for the holidays. I feel like the essence of the holidays too often, gets lost in shopping for gifts and making preparations, and the real meaning of the holidays is to celebrate Jesus and family. Making this card, I felt content with the upcoming holiday season. Ask me again in a few weeks. HaHAhA. Or should I say HOhoHo? (Im such a dork!!) I was able to use some of my new Papertrey Ink (PTI) and Unity toys on this card. Check out the awesome snowflakes, you can get the punches on the PTI website, and in every size you could imagine!! I also used PTI Kraft cardstock and Pure Poppy stitched ribbon. The other papers are SU Old Olive and Basic Grey DSP. I used a white gel pen for the details around the oval and Martha Stewart pearls on the flakes. Unity Stamp Co. "Jesus is the Reason..." is the gorgeous stamp. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY STAMPING!